Dear Friends,
January is here again, what does a new year mean to you? For most it means resolutions, organizing, God’s word says that His people perish for lack of vision. January is a good time for reevaluating our vision. To look back and see how far we have come, to see if we are fulfilling the task the Lord has given us, or are we fulfilling our own desires, or are we simply floating. What is the task or purpose the Lord has given you? Are you closer now than you were last year? Matthew 5:48 says that we are to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. How in the world can we do that? It is simple, we don’t do it in the flesh we do it in the Spirit. And it doesn’t happen overnight. It is a growing thing. I can honestly say I am more perfected now than I was last January. I hope you can say the same. Our goals should not be fleshly or carnal things like a better job or a bigger house, but they should be “God pleasing” things, like loving our neighbors. They should be things with eternal results, or it is all futile. Speaking of futility, are your works His works or your works? Only His works will produce eternal fruit. The rest will rot and waste away. So how are we measuring up? Is it time for a little repentance or will He say, “Good and faithful servant I am well pleased”. As a family we have been again going through the books of Genesis and Exodus, studying the journey of the children of Israel, their deliverance. We have been through this a million times but it is always new. Seeking Jesus’ direction should be a daily thing. I once had a young sister ask me if it was right or wrong that her friend prayed about what color socks to wear in the morning, does God really care, she wanted to know. Personally I don’t know if the Lord has a preference over blue or white, but I am positive that He is absolutely delighted when we come to Him for any direction. Picture a little 2 year old girl coming up to mommy and saying, which socks mommy? Do you like the blue ones or the white ones, which ones are prettiest mommy? Does He not delight in us the same way? Does He not delight even more when we say, “This day is yours Lord, which direction shall I go first?” I was so pleased once at a service when the worship leader said before going to pray, “I’ll be back in a few minutes, I’m going to ask the Lord which songs He wants to hear tonight”. That is what it is all about, what pleases Him. And believe it or not, He knows what pleases us better than we do, all we have to do is follow Him. Back to the children of Israel, all they had to do was follow instructions, FOLLOW THE CLOUD, STOP WHEN IT STOPS, MOVE WHEN IT MOVES,
BUILD THIS AND BUILD THAT ALL TO MY SPECIFICATIONS, BLUE HERE, GOLD THERE.
There was no guessing at all, there were no ‘good ideas’. There are thousands of people out there who get up everyday and go about doing ‘good things’ and following their own ‘good ideas’. I tell you this is not God’s plan, on the day they face judgment they will remind the Lord of all the ‘good things’ they have done for Him and He will say, “depart from me I have never known you”, and then He will call their ‘good things’ inequity! How’s that for a job well done! What it all boils down to is that it isn’t a job well done if it wasn’t the boss who asked for it in the first place. We spend a little too much time bossing around the boss sometimes, instead of sitting at His feet. He showed me something new just last night. What impresses Him is willingness and obedience, nothing else matters. I love some of Heidi Bakers testimonies, she used to talk about what a great missionary was, one that lived in the worst conditions, one had no hot water, the other had no water at all. Then she got “wrecked” by the Holy Ghost. (that’s a good wrecked, means ruined for anything else, selfishness gone) Now she could care less about anything but His water, His living water washing her daily, inside and out. We don’t score brownie points in Heaven because of what we do or do without, that doesn’t impress Him a bit. We live near an Amish community and you know what? Their lifestyle doesn’t impress Him a bit. Some of them have even gone to great lengths to live like Amish and trying to look Godly while all the while still have modern conveniences, seeing how close to the line they can get without actually crossing it. Who cares? God is not impressed, their are probably Muslims in the Middle East who live more simply. And there are New Age communities who feed the poor, does that please God? No, He is not impressed, what impresses Him is our motivation. Do we do things to say, “look at me, look how Holy I am, look what I have done for you God, aren’t you happy”. He sadly shakes His head and says, “Depart from me, you don’t know me”. In the scriptures the word “know” is a husband and wife thing. It denotes intimacy that brings forth fruit. Do you KNOW Him today? If you are spending time KNOWING Him then your life and the things He gives you to do will bring forth fruit. You will do the things He has called you to with joy, abundantly sure that you are pleasing the King. There is no struggle in , all you have to do is follow instructions, it is so simple, as long as you spend enough time with the Boss to get the instructions in the first place. So are you more Holy if you drive a horse and buggy or a Mercedes Benz? Who cares? Both drivers can get prideful about what their driving. What makes you Holy is that you are willing to lay it all down, the buggy and the Benz and say Jesus, I will do what you want today. I am willing to walk if you want Jesus, as long as you’re the one leading. I’m willing to go to Afirica if you call, I will stay in the hut or the Hilton, as long as you are there with me. Worse yet Lord I am willing to stay in America, yes I will minister to the simple or the spoiled, as long as you hold my hand. He is calling, how will you answer Him? As for me and my house, our answer is “Here I am Lord, send me”.
Over the last few years of ministry we have been through different seasons in different places. Some have remained the same, jail, radio, ect, yet some have been only for a season. But the Lord has remained faithful through it all, keeping us on track. Sometimes with a gentle nudge, sometimes with a swift kick in the back end (yes brother Robert, the Lord wears cowboy boots). We say ,”what ever it takes Jesus, keep us on the straight and narrow” As we enter this new year we will also enter some new seasons, and new doors will open. We have been flooded with prophetic dreams and visions for the last couple years and we are holding tight to what He has promised us. We continue to teach others about the Lord’s Glory, how to get in it and how to live in it. The Lord has faithfully provided for us these years, through you He has paid our bills, living expenses, ministry expenses, traveling costs and kept the deep freeze filled! That is no small miracle for a ministry team/family of our size. To those of you who have faithfully supported us as He led we thank you so much. Our big conversion van has decided to enter it’s own new season of rest, so those of you who feel led to pray in that direction we would appreciate it. Just agree with the Lord that He would send what He knows to be best. He knows how many seats we need and how many instruments we carry with us. He is a good Boss! Thanks again, we love you!
In His Service,
Penny & Jim Raine